For those of you overdosing on butter, flour, sugar and all the other delicious ingredients Christmas treats have to offer, I thought I'd suggest a recovery meal of sorts.

This quick and easy tuna niçoise is made with oil-packed canned tuna. I remember when all tuna came this way, and now it's making a comeback to regular grocery shelves.

I use:

Green leaf lettuceGrape tomatoesPickling cucumbersBoiled eggsRed potatoes, steamedHaricots vert, steamed and chilled (regular green beans will do, but these skinny French beans are worth it if you can find them)Artichoke hearts, quartered (I like the cans from Goya, not marinated)Italian or Greek olives (whatever you prefer)Newman's Own balsamic vinaigrette (I also like a zesty Italian)Tuna packed in olive oil

Serve with a crusty bread if you must, but this meal is hearty and satisfying, especially after days of overindulging!

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice1 tablespoon Dijon mustard1 tablespoon honeyAnchovy paste, salt and pepper to taste1/4 cup olive oil (regular or extra virgin)If you like your tuna black and blue, then just sear it on high heat on the grill. (Make sure you do not use lighter fluid if you're going to put your fish in the flame!) Let it cool slightly, then slice as you like.

* To keep your hard-boiled egg yolks from turning green, dry and pasty, try bringing them to a boil in a covered pan of cold water, boil for three minutes, then turn off the heat and uncover the pan. Wait until the eggs are almost cool enough to touch to peel and serve.

Season and oil your fish and asparagus so they are ready for the grill.

Put a medium, heavy-bottom saucepan on medium heat and add a tablespoon or two of olive oil. Once it's warm, add your onions and cook until translucent. If the pan is dry, add more oil, then add the arborio. Stir and cook the rice until its edges are translucent. Toss in your saffron and some salt and pepper.

Add half a cup of chicken broth or the white wine. Cook, stirring, until the pan is almost dry. Adjust the heat so you're cooking the risotto at a simmer.

Add the chicken broth half a cup at a time, stirring as it cooks. About 15 minutes into the risotto cooking, have the grill cook start the asparagus and halibut.

When the asparagus is off the grill, chop it into 1/2-inch pieces and add it and the peas to the risotto right after you add the last 1/2 cup of chicken broth.

When the risotto is close to the consistency you want, add the parmesan and salt and pepper to taste.

Serve in bowls with slices of the halibut on top. Garnish with chopped parsley and/or scallions and a hearty squeeze of fresh lemon. Serves four.

* If you use a leek, it's easiest to clean it after it's chopped. There are lots of places for dirt to hide in leek leaves, and you don't want a gritty risotto.

I gave my husband a copy of the Savoring Maine calendar for Christmas. Each month has a recipe with locally grown (and readily available) ingredients for that time of year. (Kind of a big deal when there's a crust of ice over everything, including Casco Bay.)

Blend all the ingredients except the celery, oysters and optional dilly beans. Put the oysters in a glass or sippable dish, pour Bloody Mary blend over and garnish with celery and dilly beans.

Oysters Rockefeller

Half dozen oysters, cleaned and opened (carefully, as you'll be eating from the shells, so watch out for shards!)

1 strip of thick bacon, diced

2 teaspoons fennel, diced fine

2 tablespoons cooked spinach

3 teaspoons bread crumbs

2 teaspoons diced scallions

1 tablespoon parsley

sprinkle of cayenne

parmesan, shredded (to taste)

Fry the bacon in a pan and use the drippings to sauté the fennel. Add the spinach if you're using raw (we generally use frozen) and cook until wilted. Divide all the ingredients among your half-shells, topping them with the parmesan. Broil until just browned (about seven minutes).

Many of us will be eating turkey this week. But if you are in New England, you should consider at least starting the meal with lobster.

I was born and raised a Southern gal, but I moved to New England many years ago and have adopted some delicious Yankee recipes over the years.

Northern folks love their chowders. The ubiquitous clam chowder, corn chowder, lobster, fish, you get the idea. Corn chowder, as I understand, is a very inexpensive way to fill your belly and load up with some fat to help you survive the winters up here. My family turned to beans, rice and slaw in the lean times, and my in-laws pour a bowl of corn chowder.
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This recipe for two is great with any texture of white fish, from flounder to shark. I tried it with a river trout recently and just about ate my weight. The flavors are all Mediterranean, so I paired it with a Caprese-style appetizer of mozzarella, tomato and basil on soft bread.
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Inside the Industry

SeaShare, a non-profit organization that facilitates donations of seafood to feed the hungry, announced on Wednesday, July 29 that it had partnered up with Alaska seafood companies, freight companies and the Coast Guard, to coordinate the donation and delivery of 21,000 pounds of halibut to remote villages in western Alaska.

On Wednesday, the Coast Guard loaded 21,000 pounds of donated halibut on its C130 airplane in Kodiak and made the 634-mile flight to Nome.

NEFMC trawl survey AP deadline approaches

The New England Fishery Management Council is soliciting applications for seats on the Northeast Trawl Survey Advisory Panel and the deadline to apply is July 31 at 5:00 p.m.

The panel will consist of 16 members including members of the councils and the Atlantic States Fishery Commission, industry experts, non-federal scientists and Northeast Fisheries Science Center scientists. Panel members are expected to serve for three years.

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